Marriages of convenience

After a challenging few months in which rural Cheshire schools have faced tough decisions on their future under the Transforming Learning Communities review, four primary schools decided to pair off under 'federation'.

After a challenging few months in which rural Cheshire schools have faced tough decisions on their future under the Transforming Learning Communities review, four primary schools decided to pair off under 'federation'. BARRY ELLAMS reports on a tense fortnight of TLC.

No confetti was thrown as the school governors poured out of County Hall two by two and no 'dowry' offered either, and judging by the blank expressions on some faces a challenging honeymoon looms for federating schools.

Nevertheless, out of the Transforming Learning Communities (TLC) review organised by Cheshire County Council addressing falling birth rates and surplus classroom places, a solution has emerged.

The closure of Frodsham High School is now a formality and its joint governance with Helsby High approved - yet four primary schools, Alvanley, Manley, Kingsley St John and Norley, which have ardently fought against merger options, agreed to pair off under a scheme known as 'federation'.

The schools maintain their own identity, their own sites, are legally separate, but shared by one ruling governing body. Pairing schools will be managed by one headteacher to streamline running costs.

Education lead member David Rowlands explained that federation was like 'a wedding' between two schools. Federating schools receive individual budgets calculated under the local authority's Fair Funding Formula.

The council will support, guide and advise but has no additional money to spare.

Members have often pointed out that Cheshire is one of the most poorly funded Local Education Authorities in the UK.

TLC tackles the national birth rate 'hiccup' that has led to a haemorrhage in UK pupil numbers, but local campaigners have argued that Vale Royal West bucks the trend - they believe the maths behind the TLC framework is shaky.

One such argument is that proposed housing in Helsby hasn't been taken into account - Joan Feenan, Children's Services director, said it had and explained that the county had access to live birth ratio statistics 'which they are taking into account'.

Weaver Vale Mike Hall MP is not convinced. He believes TLC is an ambiguously expressed cost-cutting measure and last week lobbied Minister for Schools Jacqui Smith in a parliamentary debate.

'The county council has always said that Transforming Learning Communities is not about saving money,' Mr Hall said in the Commons debate.

'However, the document that it has produced makes it clear and draws specific attention to the fact that educating pupils in village schools is more expensive than educating pupils in urban areas.'

Mr Hall asked: 'If the schools do not have falling rolls and are not facing surplus school places in future, if they are full and buoyant and Ofsted has given them a good report, and if parents want to send their children to those village schools, why does the county council want to merge them?'

Cllr Rowlands answered: 'We have never said this is entirely about surplus places.' he said. 'Federation would enable schools to share staff and their skills, resulting in better provision of education

'We are not saying the standard of education is bad now but you must always strive to make what is already good better.'